The New York Yankees are amid one of their worst seasons in MLB history and starting pitcher Carlos Rodon summed up their season after a shocking performance against the Kansas City Royals on Friday.
Rodon signed for the Yankees on a whopping $162,000,000 deal running for six years. However, he has not been able to justify his price tag in his first season for the Bronx Bombers.
While injury played a big part in his maiden season with the Yankees, the former Chicago White Sox player's performances from the mound make from a grim reading.
Rodon hit an unprecedented low during his start against the Royals on Friday as he lasted just 35 pitches and was removed without even completing an inning.
He faced eight Royals batters without striking out any one of them and letting out eight runs in one of the worst performances by a starting pitcher this year. The Yankees had to turn to their bullpen in the very first inning of the game after Rodon's mare.
"He finishes his dreadful first season in pinstripes with one of the worst starts we've seen from a Yankees pitcher in recent memory, perhaps ever."
Yankees fans had a field day on social media platforms after Rodon's forgettable outing. While the criticism might seem a bit harsh to some, such is the nature of the game, especially for a player with such a hefty price tag.
"Carlos Rodón is the first starter in Yankees history to allow eight runs without recording an out"
Carlos Rodon vows to improve after a shocking first season for the Yankees
The 30-year-old is well aware of his shortcomings this season and promised to improve his performance next year. However, after his latest outing against the Royals, his words might be falling on deaf ears.
"I don’t want to sugarcoat anything," Rodon directly said during a conversation with Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "I don’t want to butter them up or anything. They probably don’t want to hear that. They just want to know I’m going to show up. I want to make every start next year. I have to think about this. I don’t know what I want to say to the fans. I’ll say this: I’m disappointed in my year, but I have five more to prove myself."